Entrance Examinations - 2019

Ph.D. Philosophy

Han Ticket No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Max. Marks: 70
Time : 2 hours

Instructions

The question paper consists of two parts:

Part-A (35 marks) and Part-B (35 marks).
1.
. I f Part-A and Part-B should be answered on the OMR
2. Answers for Sechon- 0
answer sheet following the instructions provided thereupon.

,
J. Section-II of Part-A and Part-B consists of descriptive type questions and to be
answered in the answer book provlded.

Part-A
35 Marks
SectioD- I (15 marks). Answer these questions in the OMR sheet.

I. E and F are two statements. If E is true, F is false. If F is true. E is false. But both E
and F can be false at the same time. What is the relation between E and F?
A. Contradictory
B. Contrary
C. Sub-contrary
D. Equivalence

• 2. Ethnocentrism may be described as

A. A group's use of some special words or terms
B. Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating In the
standards and customs of one's own culture
C. The study of the cultural past ofa group ofpeop\e who are together by chance but
originally belong to different ethnic groups
D. An external, social scientific view of reality

3. Survey is study.
A. An analytical
B. A descriptive
C. A systematic
D. A fact finding

4. Which of the following is not the characteristic of a research?

A. Research is a process
B. Research is not passive

1
 C. Research is not systematic
D. Research is not arbitrary

5. The tenn "Phenomenology" is associated with

A. Qualitative research
B. Probability sampling
C. Analysis of variance
D. Correlational study

6. Which of the following is the first step in starting the research process?
A. Survey of related research
B. Identification of problem
C. Searching for solutions to the problem
D. Searching different sources of infonnation to go to the root ofthe problem

7. Choose the odd one out

A. Acknowledgement
B. Contents
C. Library
D. Bibliography

8. Which one is not a type of hypothesis?

A. Nul I hypothesis
B. Full hypothesis
C. Alternative hypothesis
D. Logical hypothesis

9. Which of the following subscribes to the idea that science is the only way to reach
truth.
A. Interpretivism
B. Pragmatism
C. Positivism
D. Phenomenology

10. Which may be treated as the opposite of fundamental research?

A. Qualitative research
B. Scientific research
C. Philosophical research
D. Applied research

11. Which type of research is generally used by philosophers?

A. Conceptual
B. Empirical
C. Experimental
D. Data-based

12. Find the odd one out

A. Collection of data
B. Classification of data
C. Analysis of data

2
 D. Publication of data

13. A scientist's research on the relative effectiveness of two drugs of typhoid would be
classified as
A. Experimental research
B. Descriptive survey
C. Ethnography
D. Case study

14. Philosophical hermeneutics has been developed by

A. Hans-George-Gadamer
B. W.V.O. Quine
C. L. W. Wittgenstein
D. RudolfCamap

15. An assertion of "All of John's children are asleep" presupposes that

A. All of John's children are dreaming something or other
B. All of John's children are not in the state of waking
C. John has more than one child
D. John has no child

Section- II (20 marks)

Critical thinking: A [10 Marks]

Quite a few philosophers have attempted to provide an argument in favour of God's
existence. One popular method is an analogical argument. Given below is an example
presented by William Paley:
... [S]uppose J had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired
how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think ... that, for
any thing I knew, the watch might have always been there. Yet why should
not this answer serve for the watch as well as for the stone [that happened to
be lying there on the ground]? For this reason, and for no other, viz. that,
when we come to inspect the watch, we' perceive ... that its several parts are
framed and put together for a purpose, ... to produce motion, and that motion
so regulated as to point out the hour of the day; that, if the different parts had
been differently shaped from what they are, ... or placed ... in any other
order, than that in which they are placed, ... no motion at all would have
been carried on in the machine ... the inference, we think, is inevitable, that
the watch must have had a maker ... [Likewise, to sum ut> his view, given the
complexity of the universe and the precision at which it works, he concludes
that the universe must be created by an intelligent creator].

Discuss if analogical argument can be used to establish the truth of one's belief, or it is
mainly used to show the plausibility of one's belief. Do you think that the argument above is
acceptable? Give reason to support your view. Your analysis need not exceed 300 words.

3
r

Critical thinking: B [10 MarksJ

William James, a philosopher of pragmatism, presented a very interesting and illuminating
thought experiment. The situation may be presented as follows:
A squirrel is hiding behind a tree trunk with its back opposite to that of a man
st.1Oding in front of a tree. The man wanted to get a view of the squirrel.
However, whenever the man tries to see the squirrel by moving round the tree,
the squirrel moves as fast in the opposite direction, and always manages to
keep the tree between himself and the man. After several attempts, the man
gives up.

The question is - Does the man succeeded in going round the squirrel or not? [Note:
the question is not about whether or not the man could get the full view of the
squirrel].
Analyze the situation presented above and critically respond to the question. Your response
need not exceed 300 words.

Part-B
35 Marks

Section-I (15 marks)

Answer these questions in the OMR sheet

16.1n Aristotle's syllogistic reasoning in Prior Analytics. the propositions in the premises
are.
A. Categorical
B. Hypothetical
C. Disjunctive
D. Conjunctive

17. Philosophical logic is primarily

A. A philosophical enquiry into logical concepts
B. A fonnal enquiry into logical concepts
C. An extension of first order logic
D. An axiomatic system for first order logic

18. In propositional logic, if an)' new information is added to the set of premises ofa
valid argument
A. It changes the validity of the argrnnent
B. It makes the argument stronger
C. It does not change the validity of the argument
D. It makes the argument weaker

19.1n pure hypothetical syllogism.

A. The premises are mere assumption
B. The propositions are hypothetical
C. The conclusion is conditionally true
D. The propositions are quantificational

4
20. The philosopher who said "To be is to be the value ofa bound variable" did not
accept
A. That ontology is doubly relative
B. That there is no entity without identity
C. That there is analytic-synthetic distinction
D. That there is indeterminacy of translation

21. According to Descartes,

A. Cogito ergo sum(I think therefore I am) is not a syllogistic inference
B. Mind has extension although Body has no consciousness
C. Body has consciousness although mind has no extension
D. Cogito ergo sum is a syllogistic inference

22. According to Leibnitz,

A. Monads are windowless and there is a pre-established harmony
B. Monads are windowless but there is no pre-established harmony
C. Neither monads are windowless nor is there a pre-established hannony
D. Monads are not windowless although there is pre-established hannony.

23. In accordance to Kant's proposed list of twelve categories of understanding, which is

not listed under Modality?
A. Necessity
.8. Existence
C. Reality
D. Possibility

24. Berkeley was against

A. Idealism and empiricism
B. Materialism and scepticism
C. Materialism and empiricism
D. Empiricism and scepticism

25. Austin divides speech acts to

A. Locutionary acts, Propositional acts and perlocutionary acts
B. Locutionary acts, illocutionary acts and propositional acts
C. Constatives, perforrnatives and propositional acts
D. Locutionary acts, illocutionary acts and perlocutitmary acts

26. According to Heidegger, Dasein (Being) is not

A. essentially temporal
B. the Being-in-the-world
C. fallen into a world in which there are daseins and non-daseins
D. essentially non-temporal

5
 \F1-'3
27. Match the philosopher with his famous notion/assertion
a. Nietzsche i. LanguageRGame
b. Wittgenstein ii. Chinese Room Argument
c. Descartes iii. Cogito ergo sum
d. John Searle iv. Will to Power
A. a-i, b-ii, c-iii, d-iv
B. a-iv, b-i, c-iii, d-ii
C. a. iv, b-iii, c-i, d-ii
D. a-H, hi, c-Ui, d- iv

28. Which one of the following entries on in the colwnns A (Dialogue) and B (Upani,'?ad)
do not match each other:

ColumnA (Dialogue) Colrnnn B (Upani.o;;ad)

i. between Nachiketa and Yama a) Katho
ii. between Maitreyi and Yajilavalkya b)Brihadaral).yaka
iii. behveen Uddalakaand his son Swetaketu c) Chandogya
iv. betweenAjatashatru and GargyaBalaki d)Kenopanisad

A. I, a
B. II. b
c. III. c
D. IV. d

29. Match the following columns:

Column-! Column-II
l. Samkhyakarika a) Sankracarya
ii. Brahmasutrabhasya b)Ramanuja
iii. Yogabhashya c) lsvarakri~na
iv. Sri Bhashya d) Vyasa

A. I-c. II-a, III-d. IV-b

B. I-b, II-a, III-d.lV-c
c. I-c. II-a, III-b, IV-d
D. I-d. II-a, III-c. IV-b

30. A priori intuitions, for Kant, are

A. Intuitions ofthe intellect
B. The forms of reason
C. The forms of the understanding.
D. The forms of sensibility

6
Section-II (20 marks)
Answer any two of the following in 500 words each choosing at least one from each
group. All questions carry equal value. Answer these questions in the booklet
provided.
Group-I

1. What is a proposition? Discuss various types of proposition in logic.

2. What is fonnallogic? Contrast formal logic with informallogic.
3. Write an essay on Wittgenstein's Private Language Argument.
4. Write an essay on Foucault's notion of ' powerik now ledge'.
S. Explain and examine Austin's Locutionary-illocutionary distinction.
6. Explain how, according to Kant, synthetic a priori propositions of geometry are
possible. Critically examine Kant's argument giving your reason against or in support
of his position on mathematical propositions.
7. Explain Logical Positivist's argument against metaphysics. Regarding the logical
positivist's take on metaphysics, Popper maintains that along with metaphysics
logical positivists do away with science as well. Do you agree with popper? Give
reasons for your answer.
8. "Man is condemned to be free". Explain and examine.

Group-2

I. \v11at is the theory of causation of Siimkhya? Does the theory of causality justify the
process of evolution? Explain your answer.
2. Make a critical assessment of the ethics of Bhagavad Gitii.
3. Is Brahman Satcitcmanda? Explain your answer.
4. Write an essay on Aneki1ntavada.
5. Explain and examine Cafu$koti.
6. Explain and examine Anumana (Inference) as a pramaQ.a.
7. Make a comparison between the viewpoints of AdvaitaVedanta and
Visi$tadvaitaVedanta on Brahman.
8. Write an essay on Gandhian non-violence.

7
 Keys for Ph. D. Philosophv

1B
2.8
3.D
4.C
5.A
6.8
't. c
8.8
9.C
t0. D
lt.A
12. D

13. A
14. A

15. c
r6. A
t'l. A
18. c
19. B

' 20. c
2t. A
22. A
23. C
21. B

25. I)
26. D
21. B

28. D

29. A

30. D

'(